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The couple returned to Brazil after crossing the continent with the Kombi Manezinha and now sees the land take shape with leveling, slope reinforcement, “construction base” and a permaculture plan to transform everything into green area
The couple who spent four years traveling through the American continent in a 1986 Kombi now lives a very different chapter in southern Santa Catarina. Instead of the road, the focus has turned to the land where they are building a refuge in the woods, with machines working, slopes being reinforced, and a temporary camp set up to support the day-to-day of the construction.
In this new moment, the couple describes a feeling of rapid transformation: the place that was once just imagination begins to materialize with practical decisions, soil preparation, and planning of what will be built. The Kombi Manezinha remains present in the story, but now as a symbol of the journey that led to this fixed-base project.
A construction camp for the couple to start from scratch
Right at the beginning of the video, the couple shows that the structure is still temporary but already functional. They set up a camp with a simple kitchen, covering tarp, stove, and basic items to support the workdays on the land.
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Couple leaves the city and builds a steel frame house in the countryside: sandwich roof, beams and columns secure the roof, X-braces prevent the walls from moving, and the 3-month deadline tightens.
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A simple technique of wetting the brick before laying it prevents cracks, improves the adhesion of the mortar, reduces fissures, and ensures stronger walls and more durable constructions.
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The government opens the vault and deposits R$ 2.6 billion for the construction of Brazil’s first underwater tunnel, with a length of 1.5 km, 870 m under the sea, a total project cost of R$ 6.8 billion, and a 30-year concession.
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Only 46 meters remain for Brazil and Paraguay to connect via the Bioceanic Route bridge, the project that will link the Atlantic to the Pacific by land and change the logistical map of four countries in South America.
The van that the parents are transforming into a motorhome appears as a temporary shelter, helping to create a support point while the construction progresses. The idea is to have a minimal place to cook, organize tools, and maintain the pace, without relying on a finished house.
Planning with permaculture and agroecology to guide the land
Even with the construction underway, the couple emphasizes that they are in a planning phase. They mention the Raízes da Terra office, responsible for designing the project with principles of permaculture and agroecology to transform the space into a home and refuge.
This plan organizes desires and needs of the land, such as living areas, receiving friends and family, and even a space designed to accommodate a motorhome in the future. Nothing is done “on impulse”, because the stages need to align with what will be built later.
Machines level the land and leave the area ready for the next phase
The central point of the couple‘s update is the leveling of the land. They explain that the area was very disturbed in the past and full of hills, slopes, and holes, making it difficult to even walk.
Now, with an excavator and truck, the soil is being redistributed to make the region flatter. The important detail is that they are using the land from the property itself, without needing to buy truckloads of clay or external fill, which reduces costs and speeds up the process.
Slope reinforcement with stones and preparation for a green area
In addition to leveling, the couple shows that part of the work is to strengthen a slope that was previously fragile. For this, they are using a base of stones in strategic points to provide more stability.
They also warn that the visual of disturbed soil is just a stage of the process. The intention is to plant grass all over the ground and put trees to green the area, which was previously used for timber extraction. The goal is to transform the area into a nature retreat, and soil preparation is the beginning of that.
The speed of transformation and the “before and after” in a few days
A strong point in the couple‘s account is the difference between manual work and machine work. They describe how the change happens quickly: in one or two days, the excavator can do what would be a very slow effort “by hand”.
This contrast helps explain why they call the moment “big construction” and “first engineering work” of the project. The land begins to take visible shape, with more defined lines and areas that become usable.
The trench that becomes fill and the boundary of the land becoming clear
In another update, the couple shows the land from a higher point and points out the line of trees that was preserved. They also explain that a part covered with brush is being leveled to later receive grass and trees.
The work includes filling a trench, described as a huge drop, to make the area “flat” and allow work and circulation more easily. The focus is to prepare the land to function, before raising any definitive structure.
Chainsaw enters the routine and the couple learns in practice
To speed up the work in the woods, the couple decides to add another skill to the list: learning to use a chainsaw. In the video, there are guidelines on safety and about the “kickback,” the back-and-forth motion that requires care during initial contact.
The experience is described as heavy and tiring, with vibration, heat, and impact on the body. Still, they celebrate the “first firewood” and progress in stages, cutting thicker logs gradually. It’s a type of learning that aligns with the project, because autonomy also means knowing how to handle everyday tools.
Kombi Manezinha returns to the center of the story with cleaning and reunion
The Kombi Manezinha, the “little house” of the couple for four years, appears in another part of the video when they go to the southern region of the Island of Florianópolis to wash the vehicle. They share that the Kombi traveled about 80,000 km, from Ushuaia to Alaska and then to the Arctic Ocean, and that it needed complete care.
The cleaning becomes an event: pre-wash, removal of heavy dirt, attention to detail, and the vehicle ready for a meet-up scheduled for April 19, 2026, in São José, a neighboring municipality of Florianópolis. The Kombi remains part of the couple’s identity, even with the transition to the land phase.
A forced pause: rain, mud, and the machine that had to stop
Not everything goes perfectly. At one point, the couple reports that it rained, the mud took over the ground, and the machine stopped working that day, moving on to attend to a demand on the neighbor’s land.
Even so, the assessment is positive: the land is becoming flatter and the temporary structure evolves to protect tools and equipment, especially against rain. The work continues at a possible pace, respecting the weather and logistics.
Next steps: more definitive base, workshop house, and more structure
With the leveling progress, the couple already anticipates the need for a more definitive base. They talk about a house, or workshop house, to store tools, organize electronics, expand the kitchen, and have a bathroom, as more people are now involved in the process.
They also mention the need for a pickup truck for transportation and material transport, indicating that the construction creates practical demands that arise as the routine settles in. The project grows along with the support structure, and this is part of the plan.
Do you think the couple should prioritize the workshop house first to organize the construction, or start with a living area to receive friends and family in the refuge?
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